


Let The Silence Be Broken

by Naeryse



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, Homosexuality, M/M, Romance, Sex, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-22
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-18 20:08:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/564786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naeryse/pseuds/Naeryse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You do not always get what you want, but sometimes you get exactly what you need. When Itachi meets a struggling student with a deadline, it marks the beginning of a new struggle for them both. ItaNaru.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been wanting to write an AU fic for a very long time, so here I go! All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto, I own nothing.

The town’s library was always crowded on evenings. On the weekdays, students from both secondary schools and universities flocked there in mass to hangout, hook up, sleep or just goof around. However, that Friday, there was a certain student who intended to actually use the library’s resources.

“I really shouldn't wait for the last minute,” Uzumaki Naruto, a senior from a nearby secondary school complained, scratching his head in frustration.

“These books aren’t making any damn sense!” He cried out loud, drawing dirty looks from a teenaged couple who he had just ruined the mood for.

Simply put, Naruto was under stress! He had been constantly putting off his book report for his literature class to the day after next, until the seemingly endless string of tomorrows, left him with a mere three days before the due date, without so much as a single written word.

Furthermore, the English adaptations of the book he had found thus far, were overly complicated and made a seemingly fascinating story painful to read.

Even so, changing the book that he had chosen, so he was stuck with the impossible that was worth fifty percent of his grade. How he wished that he spent his September more productively, instead of slacking off at the arcade. It was not his fault the ninja games were so addictive!

Taking a deep breath, Naruto stood up, with the intention of hopefully finding a simpler book, he vowed he would not leave the library until having done so. A blue cover that he had not seen before caught his eye and he attempted to pull it out hoping the fourth time was the charm.

However, excitement and natural clumsiness proved an unfortunate combination, for all of the books on that particular shelf plummeted to the floor, some of them bouncing off his feet before doing so.

“Owww!”

“Just perfect,” one Uzumaki Naruto grumbled to himself, now faced with another task.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi, a young professor was on his way to the counter to return a guide to clay sculpting, for one of his colleagues when he heard the loud thuds.

Upon investigation, the long-haired man discovered several books strewn across the dusty carpet, and the culprit, a young blonde, hunched over the floor, scrambling to stack as many books as possible into his hands before anyone noticed.

Without an afterthought, Itachi set the guide down, taking half of the unsteady pile of books off the boy’s hand, lest they fall a second time.

“Th-thanks,” Naruto said with a surprised look on his face, clearly not expecting the assistance, especially not from such a handsome person. Had they seen him, the majority of the library’s occupants would have simply laughed at him instead; nevertheless, being on the receiving end of laughter was the norm.

While repacking the shelves, Itachi noticed that all of the books pertained to a literary piece from his childhood and he was momentarily overcome with nostalgia. Once more, he was reminded of just why he had chosen his current field.

Suddenly, the young professor was intrigued as to whether it was mere coincidence, or that the blonde was genuinely interested in the title. After all, this was not the typical book.

“The Great Shinobi War huh?” Itachi said quietly, looking over the blonde with curiosity. The messy-haired boy was around average height with light blue eyes, clad in an orange jacket and black jeans. There was a friendly aura about him and the older man figured, he could be no older than sixteen (16).

“It’s for my book report!” Naruto piped up, spurred on by the taller man’s apparent interest in the book.

“Is that so?” The Uchiha remarked, quickly checking his mobile phone for the time.

Nodding almost instantaneously, Naruto pointed to the table in the far corner corner of the room where he had been sitting for the better part of the evening.

“Let’s see what you have so far then,” the older man remarked, deciding there was enough time to look over the boy’s work. Owing to the fact that The Great Shinobi War was one of his favourites, the professor was interested in how the boy would interpret it, perhaps he could gain a new insight.

Oh shoot! Don't! Naruto dashed frantically behind the man, in attempt to reach the table before the man; nonetheless, the blonde’s efforts were in vain for Itachi had all ready beat him to it and was reading the scribbles on his notebook.

Instantly Naruto became red-faced as he flushed in embarrassment, knowing the only thing written down was the date and the guidelines for the assignment in question.

More than ever, he wished the ground would just swallow him up right there to save him from the shame of facing the stranger. It was truly not his intention to put on airs; he had been merely swept away in the moment, since no one noticed he existed.

“All the adaptations are kinda hard,” Naruto suddenly declared in defence of himself, slapping the table in exclamation, he did not want the man to think any less of him; he simply did not understand the textbooks sometimes.

“Although, I just started reading it today and it's due on Monday,” the pitch of the blonde’s voice descended with every word, as he finished lamely.

Blinking in surprise at the sudden outburst, the tiniest of smiles soon graced Itachi’s handsome features; this boy was honest, the older man noted to himself.

Despite being a law professor, Uchiha Itachi shared the blonde’s sentiments, as he also thought the language of academia prevented others from accessing and enjoying the rich content which that world had to offer.

“What? Where are you go-?” An alarmed Naruto could barely formulate any coherent questions as he looked up, only to see Itachi turn his back, before disappearing behind the shelves, without so much as a goodbye.

Did he anger the man somehow? Granted, he was used to being misunderstood, Naruto could not figure out where he might had gone wrong. I must have just wasted his time, the boy lamented, frowning as realisation dawned on him.

“This adaptation should help,” Uchiha Itachi said ten (10) minutes later, as he reappeared and placed a blue covered book on top of the boy’s notebook.

Huh? This is the book I had pulled out earlier, how did it find its way out here? Naruto questioned himself, looking around in suspicion, before he finally noticed the dark-haired man regarding him with raised eyebrows.

“Ooooh... thank you!”

Round cheeks flooded crimson once more, signalling the awkwardness the blonde felt inside as he fully grasped what had just happened. Nevertheless, he actually felt relieved as well, for his fears had been all for naught.

Turning the first couple of pages of the paperback, the younger man was soon immersed in the Shinobi world, leaving no doubt in Itachi’s mind that the boy would have no difficulty understanding the adaptation, he just needed a little guidance.

“What is yo-?” The unexpected vibration of Itachi’s mobile phone interrupted the man mid-sentence, prompting him to reach into his left pocket to retrieve it. This is going to take awhile, he thought, glancing over at the blonde.

“Call me if you need any help,” The Uchiha said, writing his name and number on the boy’s notebook.

Quickly looking down at the writing below the number, Naruto proceeded to thank him by name. “Un, thanks for everything... I-Itachi!” The blonde shouted excitedly, before cupping his mouth, having momentarily forgotten he was in a library.

The next two (2) days flew by too quickly for Naruto who had completely delved into the book, and re-read the master piece at least twice before he started the actual work.

“I'm off, Naruto, there’s some left over pasta in the fridge if you get hungry,” Iruka called out to his son, before turning the knob to the front door.

He must not have heard me, still busy with the book I see, the man smiled to himself when silence was the response. Whatever the case, he was actually pleased to see the boy working diligently on his book report, maybe his teacher should give assignments more often, as Naruto hated to read with a passion, and only did it unless he needed to.

Contrary to what his father thought, said boy was instead, tapping furiously at the keyboard, trying to get rid of the annoying blue screen on the monitor.

“No, no, no, not now,” he panicked as he realised turning on and off the CPU made little difference. “If I don't get this typed up and printed by tonight, my teacher is going to fail me tomorrow!”

Uzumaki Naruto, thus faced a tough predicament, if he had any friends, they would prove useful in this dire time of need. Had all the effort he had placed into getting the book report finished for the past three (3) days been in vain?

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m shaking off a tonne of rust, thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks goes to Knight Rider who was my second pair of eyes. All mistakes are my own.

Uchiha Itachi was walking onto his patio with a glass of lemonade and a book in hand. He was in need of fresh air after having spent the morning indoors, reviewing old case files for his next lecture.

He set the items down on the table and reached back to pull out the chair to sit down when his cellular rang at the same time.

“Good evening,” Itachi answered upon the third ring.

“Good evening Itachi, it's Naruto, we met at the library, remember?” Said the young voice on the line.

So that’s his name, Itachi paused for thought, perhaps the blonde had wanted some last minute help.

“How’s the book report coming along?” The long-haired man asked outright, avoiding small talk.

“Um...about that, I just finished it but my computer just died on me,” he paused briefly. “By chance, could I come over and use your computer, the library is closed today and I have nowhere else to turn.” 

“Please... you’re the only one who can help me.”

What? Did he just invite himself over? The Uchiha rubbed the back of his neck in amazement, taken back by the boy’s boldness and interpretation of his offer; it was a far cry from the phone based instruction that he intended.

Faced with no choice, Itachi proceeded to give the blonde directions to his house, while inklings of regret challenged his decision.

Meanwhile in attempt to arrive early, Naruto hurriedly packed his notebook into his backpack and set down fresh food for his sleeping puppy before hustling out of the house. The blonde intended to make a good impression.

Nevertheless, Naruto was soon lost in the classier section of the district. Given that he had no friends who lived in the area or at all to speak of, he had no reason to be acquainted with the area.

To complicate matters, the blonde’s feet began to ache from all the walking and he had yet to meet another person on the street who could possibly give him directions to the man’s house.

If only I had a cellphone, I’d call him to let him know I was still coming, Naruto thought in frustration as he paused momentarily.

Suddenly, he noticed a black Sedan creeping towards him out of the corner of his eye. Instantly, he straightened up and started to walk quickly.

Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto recognised Itachi in the driver’s seat, his face flushed red with embarrassment and he broke out into a jog to save face.

Flashing the boy a blank look in response, the Uchiha unlocked the passenger door, while entertaining the notion that the boy was a little odd.

“Just trying to keep in shape,” the blonde exhaled for dramatic effect before sinking into the passenger seat. Despite his good intentions, he seemed to be making a bigger fool of himself than usual. Moreover, the man’s unsettling quietness confirmed his doubts. 

Way to go Naruto, I can’t believe he had to come find me some impression I made, he thought as he looked out the car window.

Five minutes later, the long-haired man pulled into the drive way of a cream house with brown trimmings. Silently, Naruto followed him up to the doorway and entered when the man gestured for him to go inside.

“Wow! Nice house,” the boy exclaimed in awe of the living room. The grey walls were adorned with portraits of abstract art; the furniture consisted of a black leather sofa suite and a floor lamp; the hard wood flooring all combined to create an atmosphere of elegance.

“Is that so?” Itachi said softly, he was not accustomed to the compliment, for his few house guests never commented on his living arrangements.

Nodding fervently, the blonde proceeded to take his sneakers off at the mat and followed Itachi into the dining room who directed him to a laptop on the table. Naruto took the seat next to it and set to work immediately. Meanwhile, Itachi joined him at the end of the table and started to read a law enforcement journal. Subsequently, the sounds of Naruto’s loud typing and Itachi’s page turning punctuated the silence of the room.

Half an hour later, the assignment had been typed, printed and placed in a report folder which Itachi had given to Naruto. 

“Thank you for everything Itachi, you really saved me today,” the boy said while carefully putting the book report into his backpack. He was truly grateful to be spared from the teacher’s red pen and his father’s wrath that would surely follow.

“I guess I’ll get go-” the loud growling of Naruto’s stomach interrupted him, prompting him to clutch his stomach. Colour flooded his face while heat rushed to his ears in shame.

“Heh heh, I forgot to go down for breakfast, I was re-reading The Great Shinobi War,” he blurted. This must be some new record, the boy thought, casting his eyes down to floor while awaiting the laughter that his awkward antics always afforded him.

“Would a grilled cheese sandwich be okay?” Itachi asked a few moments later, offering his guest the quickest option available.

“Go-good, it's perfect,” Naruto stammered a reply, flashing the young professor a wide smile of gratitude.

Plopping down on the counter on a bar stool, he watched the dark-haired man take various ingredients from the fridge and the cupboards.

“Do you live here by yourself?” The boy asked after a short time, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

“Yes,” Itachi answered as he reached for a knife in order to slice the mushrooms.

“What do you do?” Naruto fired another question; his earlier feeling of self consciousness had subsided and he instead felt more relaxed.

“I teach law,” Itachi replied, looking down at the boy who had suddenly appeared next to him and invaded his personal space. Oblivious to the man’s incredulous gaze, Naruto uncovered the spice jars and peered inside. 

“Cool! I want to be a teacher too,” he blurted out. “Did ya always want to be one?”

Unbidden, the young professor’s thoughts drifted to the distant past, his dark brows creased and furrowed as he seemingly relived an unpleasant memory. Blinking, the man’s mind returned to reality moments later and he answered the blonde.

“I did. What are you into Naruto?” Changing the topic before the boy could formulate another question, Itachi quickly took control of the conversation. 

“Gaming, baseball and ummm rock music I guess,” came the enthusiastic reply.

Although Itachi did not like baseball, he pressed on with questions about the blonde’s favourite team and their performances in the current baseball season. His strategy proved effective as the boy talked non-stop about his team thus thwarting anymore unwanted questions.

On the other hand, the messy haired blonde was delighted to finally have someone other than his father talk with him and was determined to make the most of the opportunity. Therefore, he quickly wolfed the sandwich down, in hopes of continuing the conversation. However, the young professor’s next question shattered the illusion. 

“Are you ready now?” Moving the boy’s empty plate and glass to the sink, Itachi grabbed his car keys from the key rack next. He decided to take the blonde home, lest he stumbled around the area in the dark.

“Yeah...” Naruto’s voice dropped several pitches lower, reflecting the disappointment that he was feeling inside. More than ever, he wanted to say no, for there was so much more he wanted to say, but he no longer had any reason to linger at the man’s house any longer. 

Moreover, there was no telling when such an opportunity would arise again, given his lousy track record. Sighing inwardly, he picked up his backpack from the chair and headed to the living room to put on his shoes. 

Naturally, Itachi did not know how much the conversation meant to the young man. Likewise, he did not recognise the underlying sadness in his voice when he bid him good night.

For the man, his usual routine had been offset by the forward boy who had asked for more than what he was willing to give to a stranger. However with the assignment completed, Itachi believed that was the last he would ever see of him. Little did he know, how wrong his assumption would prove to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm amused cause this is the most dialogue I've ever put into a chapter. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for your feedback and support, as always I deeply appreciate it! I hoped to update earlier but life kept me busy again.
> 
> My undying thanks goes to Knight Rider for being my second pair of eyes. All mistakes are my own.

Uchiha Itachi brushed the hair out of his face with a soft sigh. He was relieved to be home after a long day of teaching and meetings. Finally, he could unwind and relax for the remainder of the evening.

After closing the car door, he walked up to the doorway, toting his work satchel and a bag of fresh bread which he had picked up from the bakery.

His feet had barely touched the bottom step when Naruto sprang out from the hedges with a cry, startling him and causing his bags to tumble to the ground.

“Boooo!”

Bursting into laughter, the blonde clutched his stomach at the sight of the man’s shocked face. He could not resist playing a prank on an unsuspecting target.

Glaring at the boy in turn, Itachi proceeded to pick the bags up and let them both in the house wordlessly. The situation could have turned out unpleasantly had he been on guard.

“What can I do for you Naruto?” He asked, once they were inside the dining room. There was no reason for the blonde’s return and he hoped he could send him away quickly.

Rummaging through his school bag excitedly, the messy-haired boy then handed the Uchiha his graded assignment with a pleased look on his face.

“I thought you should be the first one to see this, since you helped me.”

The book reports had been returned to the class that morning and Naruto had leapt out of his chair with a shout upon seeing his grade. Naturally, his display of shock had earned him the ridicule of his classmates but he had been too overwhelmed by his ‘B’ grade to care. Tottering between a ‘C’ to ‘D’ average was typical for the boy.

Surprised by the blonde’s thoughtful gesture, Itachi’s face softened and he began to read his work. Soon thereafter, he was impressed by the boy’s outlook on the piece; it was unlike any interpretation he had ever encountered before but no less valid. Notwithstanding, his spelling and structure left a lot to be desired; however with a few pointers he could be a good writer.

“Great work Naruto, this was certainly an-” Itachi paused midway the compliment when he realised he had been talking to himself. Figuring the boy had probably gone to the bathroom, the older man did not question his guest’s whereabouts until the television boomed in his ears.

That kid. It was not long before the Uchiha was gasping at an unbelievable sight. The blonde was reclined on his couch, watching the MLB network; the remote rested on his lap, while his uniform jacket had been tossed carelessly aside on an adjacent chair.

“What are you doing?” He asked Naruto who seemed completely at home in his den.

Looking up from television screen, Naruto apologised sheepishly. “Sorry for starting the highlights without you.”

What? That’s not even the point. Itachi questioned the boy’s strange logic before realising the blonde mistook him for a baseball fan, due to their last conversation.

“I actually have to start dinner now,” The young professor replied in defeat, deciding to use the misunderstanding to his advantage; it would keep the boy out of the way, at least while he cooked.

“Oh...too bad then,” Naruto muttered, turning his attention back to the screen. He would have really liked to have shared the best moments of the game with another fan.

Some time later, the blonde sauntered into the dining room, swinging an invisible bat while mimicking the sound of the bat hitting a ball. Itachi closed the book he had been reading and watched the boy’s performance warily, hoping he would not break anything.

When Naruto’s arms grew tired from batting, he strolled over to Itachi’s side of the table and pulled out the chair next to him.“Watcha cooking?” He asked.

“Vegetarian lasagne,” the long-haired man said coolly, while wondering why out of the four (4) chairs the blonde chose the one next to him.

“Eww!” Naruto interjected, crinkling his nose at the thought of vegetables ruining lasagne. In any case, he could not afford to ruin his appetite by staying over for dinner. His father was guaranteed to take him out to his favourite restaurant for ramen to celebrate his achievement.

“See ya later Itachi!” The boy said hurriedly as he packed up his things quickly, he needed to reach home before his father started dinner.

Vegetables were the trick huh? Perhaps being a vegetarian does have its perks, Itachi thought with a smile, as he waved goodbye. Be that as it may, Naruto was proving to be somewhat unpredictable to him. His leaving was as unexpected as his arrival, yet he would not fault the boy for coming over this time, since he enjoyed the boy’s take on The Great Shinobi War.

* * *

Onward to Friday, the morning bell sounded in the hall way, finding Naruto in the chemistry lab. Normally, he would be now rushing up to the school gate since he was a late riser. No amount of knocking on his door or calling of his name could awaken him on mornings when his school days kick-started with boring classes. However that habit changed whenever practicals were involved; he preferred hands-on subjects.

Slithering into the room quietly, the chemistry teacher, an overly pale man, announced to the class that they would be making soap in groups of three (3). Naruto crinkled his nose at the lameness of the experiment, yet it did not dampen his excitement, since it meant donning the goggles and oven mitts lain out on the table.

“Come on all ready,” the boy grumbled in impatience, as he waited for two of his classmates to join his table. To his dismay, everyone shuffled past him and formed their preferred groups, leaving him alone.

Further dejection rocked his core when the teacher called out to fellow students to join him, to no avail. Once more, he was treated like the outcast of the school. No one ever willingly worked with him or invited him into their groups; he had been a fool to think that today would be any different.

Blinking to keep back his tears, Naruto walked out of the lab with his head turned downward and his shoulders slumped.

Meantime, Itachi was winning his second Shogi match on his tablet. He had started playing in the living room while awaiting the arrival of a package. Figuring it was the delivery man when the door bell finally rang, Itachi opened the front door, only to greet the last person he had expected.

“Naruto,” he said in a concerned tone, taking in the troubled sight of the blonde. His eyes were puffy and swollen from crying, while a deep-set frown marred his round face. Most disturbingly, he was dressed in his school’s lab coat.

Stepping aside, Itachi let the blonde inside, deciding there was a serious reason that drove him to skip school. Moreover, there were worse places he could have probably gone instead, the man reckoned.

Nevertheless, it was a long time before the two young men sitting across from each other broke the prevailing silence. “Itachi,” Naruto began hoarsely, “how do I get other people to recognise me?”

“What do I gotta do?” he rasped in desperation. Perhaps he had sunken to an all time low by cutting school; however he was fed up with being invisible and unneeded there. Most importantly he wanted to know what he could do to fit in.

“What do you want to be recognised for?” The older man probed, answering with a question.

“Huh?” The boy scratched his head, arching his brows in confusion.

“What is it about you that you want others to see?”

“Well um, I-I’m a....” To the blonde’s horror, he was drawing a blank on his redeeming qualities. His pranks and poor gaming skills were as worthless as himself, cementing the fact that he was truly a loser; after all no one associated with a class clown.

Hunching forward in a depressed state, Naruto buried his face in his hands, causing Itachi to lament the harshness of his words; the man’s opinions were rarely consulted outside of academic matters.

“Is there anything you could possibly improve in your life, Naruto?” The long-haired man inquired, changing his approach since he was dealing with a young teen.

Suddenly a light bulb above the boy’s head turned on, causing his hands to drop to his lap in a comical manner.

“Of course!” The blonde jumped to his feet excitedly, finally grasping the elusive solution to his problems. The slacker inside was holding him back and preventing him from living up to his potential. He needed to kick his bad habits to the curb and work hard in all the areas where he was lacking. Providing he did those things, his classmates would be forced to see the positives changes in him and acknowledge his existence!

“It won’t be easy, but at least I’ll have Itachi-sensei to help me,” Naruto mused, flashing the man a grateful smile for his proposed guidance.

Sensei? The stunned Uchiha could only part his lips in reaction to the role he had been given. Once more Naruto had taken a jarring liberty and drafted him into his plans for reform. Furthermore, the boy was rambling on about his proposed changes with a fire, that not even Itachi could bear to see extinguished.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There goes a necessary snippet of Naruto’s school life. Thank you for reading this far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the follows and feedback from the last chapter, I deeply appreciate your support.
> 
> Special thanks goes to Knight Rider and Itachi Toriniti for the beta. All mistakes are my own.

The sun began to colour the sky as Iruka crossed the street with Naruto’s puppy in tow. There was a contented expression on his face that reflected his eased conscience.

The man had constantly blamed himself for his son's loneliness, since it was a promotion to a high position at a new branch of the bank he worked for, that landed them in this small town. Whereas he had expected a better life for both of them here, fate rendered an unforeseen consequence instead; Naruto was rejected by his peers who considered him an unwanted outsider.

Further guilt racked up inside the man whenever he heard the boy talking to himself in front of the mirror, in attempts to reassure himself after a trying day at school; it was not supposed to be like that. He prayed that someone would finally see and accept his son.

Fortunately his prayers appeared to be answered, for Naruto was more high spirited of late and was even using the telephone, he seemed to have made a friend at last.

Suddenly, the ginger Akita barked excitedly, wagging his tail in a frenzy. Figuring a cat or squirrel had crossed their path, Iruka glanced ahead only to witness a troubling scene unfold.

A black sedan pulled up to the front of his house and Naruto climbed out, exchanging a few words with the driver before heading to the front porch. Suddenly he doubled back to the car then walked away with his school bag.

Who the hell is that? A thread of uncertainty thickened within Iruka, after the car sped past him, revealing a dark-haired man in the driver seat who he did not recognise. He swallowed uneasily, not liking the turn of events.

After marching into the house, the worried father found Naruto in the kitchen heating up dinner in the microwave. He loathed to think the boy was mixing in bad company.

“Hey dad,” Naruto said cheerfully when he saw him standing in the archway.

“And there you are Kurama!” He exclaimed happily, while letting the pup nuzzle his hand.

“I saw you getting out of the car just now. Who was that Naruto?” Iruka inquired, skipping the pleasantries.

“Just my tutor,” the blonde said matter-a-factly.

You went out and got yourself a tutor? A myriad of expressions flashed across the man's face. To think the boy had taken this step on his own, he was finally taking his education seriously. It was the last thing Iruka had expected, especially after scolding and grounding him for cutting school.

Later that week, Naruto was poring over his chemistry textbook and slurping cup ramen at the dining room table, when Iruka dropped two baseball tickets next to his notebook.

The blonde froze for a full minute before flying into his father's arms, knocking his chair over.

“How did you get these dad? They've been... been sold out forever!”

"I have my ways," Iruka smiled while embracing him and patting him on the back. "Just keep up the good work."

The man was overjoyed with the changes that Naruto was slowly making, for he had been waking up early most mornings and reading much more. Therefore, Iruka rewarded him for his efforts; it was his turn to surprise his son.

* * *

The messy state of Uchiha Itachi’s dining room table coincided with a certain blonde's visits on evenings. Today was such an occasion when all the contents of Naruto's school bag cluttered the table.

“Why do we need to know about these prime ministers for anyway?”

The messy-haired boy complained after guessing the last answer to Itachi's pop quiz on the country's leaders; history was not his strong suit.

“Could you believe that I had my hand up in class today and my teacher didn't even want to call on me,” he admitted.

“I'll have him acknowledge me too. Just wait and see!” The blonde exclaimed, pointing at himself.

Although it was disheartening that his teachers, like his classmates, did not take him seriously, Naruto vowed that they would be all looking at him soon enough. Nevertheless, reform was proving to be difficult, especially where studying was concerned.

On the other hand, Itachi was sceptical, doubting the boy's ability to turn all of his grades around, especially this late in his school life. However he was surprised by the blonde's determination, since he had been coming over steadily for the past weeks.

“You must've been really popular in school, Itachi,” Naruto remarked, catching the Uchiha's eyes.

Where did that come from? The older man looked away, creasing his brows at the irony of the statement; a child prodigy in a university was anything but popular.

And naturally, the bad memories surrounding that period of Itachi's life resurfaced as well and he tried to stuff them back down.

''Let's take a break,'' he suggested with a hint of regret in his voice. Somehow the boy had a knack for striking at his past with his random questions.

“Itachi, do you want some juice?” Naruto yelled out from the kitchen, after helping himself to a glass of the juice in question, and the fruit and nut bar that he found in the fridge door.

Jolted from his thoughts by the boy's loudness, Itachi looked around in alarm, before wondering why the boy could not keep out of his fridge.

“No thank you,” the young professor then replied with hesitation, clearing his throat; he rarely spoke that loudly and barely recognised his own voice.

In spite of the Uchiha's answer, Naruto sauntered into the room with the drink, handing it to the older man with a chuckle.

“You sound thirsty,” he reasoned. “Drink up."

That strange logic again, the older man thought, accepting the glass in resignation. Even though he taught hundreds of students on a daily basis, he was unable to say no to the younger one sitting in front of him. Itachi would eventually learn the reason why.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iruka can't interfere for now and Naruto only called Itachi because he was grounded. My next chapter will be late due to my busier schedule; however there will be new settings next time. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for the subscriptions and feedback from the last chapter, I deeply appreciate your support. I'm very sorry for this delay, it seems I can't write when I'm down.
> 
> My undying thanks goes to Knight Rider and Itachi Toriniti for the beta. All mistakes are my own.

The cluster of trees lining the town’s promenade shielded Itachi from the harsh sunlight. He was heading to the supermarket on his last errand.

While reflecting on his grocery list that had grown in proportion to a certain boy’s appetite, he failed to notice that said boy was in fact running towards him.

“Itachi, Itachi!” Naruto hollered, grinning widely.

“Hello Naruto,” Itachi responded quietly, wondering why the boy looked happy to see him.

“I'm so glad I ran into you! There's something you gotta see,” the blonde urged him on, grabbing his arm. “Come on!”

The Uchiha’s eyes widened at the unwanted contact but he decided that it was not unpleasant, thus allowing himself to be lead away by the impulsive boy. Besides he was curious about what the blonde could possibly show him.

You cannot be serious. An excuse was moments away from forming on the Uchiha’s lips, after Naruto halted in front of the arcade.  The man believed the place was childish and that his time would be better spent on productive activities. Nevertheless, the boy still managed to change his resolve when he spoke again.

“I used to come here every day after school, until you made me realise that I was slacking off too much.”

“So I only come here on Saturdays now, it’s kinda like a reward for all that studying,” Naruto confessed, pushing the arcade door open.

Reminded of his own lack of childhood, Itachi realised that going to the arcade was probably the norm for the children of Naruto’s generation and the boy wanted to share the activity with him since he had no friends. Moreover, he could not fault the logic of the boy’s reformed habit.

After following Naruto into the gaming centre, he looked around and immediately felt out of place. A group of children were making a racket in front of a racing game, while several teenagers were equally noisy in their own world. Turning his attention back to the blonde, Itachi watched him fish a game token out of a frog purse.

The blonde's face reddened in embarrassment when he noticed the man’s pointed stare. However, it did nothing to crush his excitement, since he had been desperately wanting for someone to join him in the two-player mode of his favourite game for the longest time.

Leading the way to the Ninja Gaiden machine, Naruto warned the man that he would not go easy on him. Therefore, he won the first game since Itachi had been familiarising himself with the controls.  However the tables turned on Naruto in the next two (2) games where Itachi emerged victorious.

“I can't believe you kicked my ass,” the boy laughed, walking out of the arcade with his hands behind his head.

“I kept walking into your genjutsu too.”

“You wouldn’t stop charging at me,” the man said.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the way I play!” the boy feigned hurt before bursting into laughter again.

Caught in the warmth of the moment, Itachi smiled down at him. He could not deny that it was fun playing the ninja game with the boy.

And naturally, Naruto followed Itachi into the supermarket, chatting about anything that came to mind while the man listened to him and filled up his trolley.

“I’ll leave you to your favourite section,” the blonde teased when the man turned into the fresh produce aisle.

Joining the man later in the checkout line, Naruto dropped a cup ramen into the trolley. The man merely raised a brow at the gesture; the boy’s antics never ceased to amaze him.

“Thanks for today,” the blonde said while putting away the last shopping bag into the trunk of Itachi’s Sedan.

Instead of replying in kind, the man said what was most comfortable to him.  “Get in, I will take you home.”

 

* * *

The university was a maze of buildings and corridors. Uzumaki Naruto had thrust into what was quickly becoming, an increasingly futile search for a certain professor.

What’s with this place? Can they all be in detention? He wondered while passing another class that still was in session during lunch time.

Moments later, laughter and lively chatter buzzed from a nearby room, arousing his curiosity. Easing through the half doors, Naruto crept into the lecture theatre, mindful that he was bound to stick out because of his uniform. Fortunately, no one noticed him taking a seat in the back, or heard his subsequent gasp upon seeing Itachi standing at the centre of the floor.

Itachi had posed a morality question to the class and was calling on the raised hands. Despite the good answers, they all missed a crucial point, save the crude joke of a young man that prompted laughter.

“As stupid as that may sound you're actually right, seems like you're finally learning Kimura-san.”

“It’s about time, you've been here long enough,” the professor continued, triggering another round of snickers and laughter.

Meanwhile, Naruto was delighted to see this assertive side of his sensei and his conviction of becoming a teacher was renewed by the end of the lecture; the professor was amazing.

“How did the whole class end up in detention, Itachi?” The blonde asked after the last student left the room.

Detention? The professor froze since there was only one person who could be this familiar with him and say something that crazy.

“Naruto...What are you doing here?” The stunned man asked, wondering when and how the boy slipped in.

Grinning at the man’s quizzical expression, Naruto replied, “I’m here for a lecture with my school.”

“But I need to head back before they start looking for me. And you’re taking me too, I couldn’t find my way back even if I tried,” he added, locking eyes with the taller man.

You never say please do you? While packing up his things, Itachi explained the differences between secondary school and university class schedules to the boy. Then he treated him to a tour of the law department and a drink from the vending machine.

Upon entering the lobby where pictures of prominent alumni hung on the walls, the blonde did a double take of a particular photograph.

“Is this...this you?” The blonde choked, looking back and forth between Itachi and the picture of a boy.

Nodding slightly, the professor awaited the barrage of typical questions that always followed, whenever someone recognised him from the image. However, the blonde’s comment was completely unexpected.

“You were really cute,” Naruto remarked, while secretly thinking that the man had grown up gorgeous.

Cute? Looking down at the blushing blonde, Itachi opened his mouth to respond but found no words. So he opted to ponder the strange feeling that he was suddenly having towards the boy who treated him like a normal person.

“I should’ve known I would find you out here,” drawled an angry looking older woman.

Oh shit! The blonde panicked, gritting his teeth in fear of her unleashing her infamous temper on him.

“‘I-I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, I just wanted to....” Naruto spun around, waving his hands around helplessly while thinking up of an excuse that could possibly appease her.

 “To make me spend nearly an hour looking for you perhaps?” She asked, planting her hands on her hips.

“I wasn’t gone that long,” Naruto replied thoughtlessly and instantly regretted it when her face darkened.

“What did you say?”

“The one to blame for this misunderstanding would be me,” the young professor interrupted, earning himself a matching pair of questioning looks.

“The boy was lost and asked me for directions, then I got carried away when he asked about the university.”

“I guess that I’m just too passionate about my alma mater, and for that I apologise, it was rude of me to keep him back,” he admitted.

Gazing at the attractive man, clad in a thin sweater and dark slacks, she then noticed the university ID clipped to his belt, and the picture resembling him on the wall.

“It’s quite all right, thank you for taking care of him,” she responded, blushing slightly.

To think Naruto could carry on an intelligent conversation with a handsome man of his calibre was mystifying.  She would be paying closer attention to the blonde from now.

“Let’s head back,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what to do with you...”

Lisping a ‘thank you,’ a grateful Naruto walked away with his teacher.

Somehow, Itachi could not stand by and watch the boy drown in clumsy excuses, so he intervened. Whether he liked it or not, the boy was in his life now, and he would rather deal with his talkativeness, than his sad silence.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naruto had a hard time choosing between the ramen flavours in the supermarket. It’s been 2 months since the boys have met. Thank you for reading this far.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for your feedback and support on the last chapter, I value it as always. I'm very sorry for the lateness, life just happened.
> 
> Thank you Knight Rider, Itachi Toriniti and Yasha for the beta. All mistakes are my own.

  


Uchiha Itachi awoke, slumped over the reports on his desk in the study. He had blacked out after going days without sleep while working a case for his side job.

Removing the reading glasses that pinched his nose, he frowned at the bent frames and began to straighten them out again. Such clumsiness was unlike him, yet this overwork was the norm during the holidays since it allowed the man to avoid the painful memories that the season would evoke.

While he was tidying up the reports, the door bell rang so he headed to the living room, thinking that visitors were rare this time of year. However the most unusual visitor would soon greet him. A ginger Akita sprang on him when he opened the door.

“Waa! Kurama likes you!” Naruto exclaimed, surprised the shy pup took such a liking to his sensei.

“Is he your dog?”

“Yup. I found the little guy in a box when I was coming home from school one day.”

“I just couldn't leave him there, you know?” Naruto admitted.

Without warning, the excited Akita galloped through the house, prompting his owner to chase after him. “Oi, Kurama, stop running!”

Itachi watched the two go with an amused look on his face. Well, that's a first. You couldn't have found a better owner, he thought.

Meanwhile Naruto stumbled into the study, finding his pet playing with what he hoped was anything but a book. Upon realising that it was only a baseball, he breathed a sigh of relief and picked it up. He had blown his holiday money all ready and could not afford to replace any books.

“Look what we just found,” Naruto grinned, bouncing the ball between his hands as he strode into the kitchen with Kurama trotting beside him. Forming a pitcher's stance next, he then hurled it at the Uchiha.

Catching the ball before it landed in the spinach pie, Itachi glared at the boy and opened his mouth to speak but tensed up instead.

His reality had been wrenched away by a memory that currently replayed in his mind. And there a younger Itachi was running towards a certain little leaguer at the community park in his town town.

“Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun! Can you sign this ball please?” Itachi teased, handing it over with a grin to his little brother who gasped excitedly in turn.

“Is this my home-run ball?!” Sasuke squealed, looking it over in awe.

“It sure is, didn't I promise to get it back to celebrate your first home run?”

“Unh! Thank you Itachi!” He cried, flying into his brother's arms and hugging him tightly.

“You did great out there today, Sasuke,” the older Uchiha remarked, pleased with his brother's performance at the inter-district finals.

“That's cause of our practice!” The boy declared proudly, then he skipped off to show his team-mates his new treasure.

Drawn back to the present by Kurama's whimpering, Itachi found the dog lying at his feet. Setting the ball down on the counter, he bent down and petted the pup's head.

“Itachi, are you okay?” The boy asked, wondering what caused the troubled look on the man's face.

On the other hand, guilt was gnawing at the Uchiha's conscience. For in the end, Sasuke had given Itachi that treasured ball to cheer him up, following a three-way argument with their parents during the holidays. And he repaid the gesture by losing it. Furthermore, he forgot his love of playing the game with Sasuke.

“I didn't come all the way back from my trip empty handed you know, I picked up something for ya.” Naruto said in attempt to lighten the Uchiha's mood.

“I'm still not very good at skiing though, I kept falling down,” he continued while digging out a poorly wrapped present out of his backpack.

Marching over to the Uchiha next, Naruto shoved it into his hands and waited an eternity for him to open it up.

Accordingly, the Uchiha's expression changed from sullen to surprised then to impressed, in response to his gift. He dangled a falcon charm from its chain, admiring the detail on the wings.

“Thank you Naruto,” he said quietly, looking over at the blonde who had unexpectedly good taste.

“Did you know I like birds?”

“Of course, I'm psychic!” The blonde laughed, “nah, I remembered seeing some birds set as your laptop's wallpaper the first time I came over, so I thought you probably liked them.”

Quickly grabbing the man's keys from the key rack, the eager blonde handed them to the Uchiha. “Let's put it up in your car now!”

“Let's go Kurama.”

Indulging Naruto in his rashness, Itachi followed him outside to the car but his mind was elsewhere. There was simply no way for him to avoid his memories now.

* * *

 

The kitchen was unusually quiet while Uchiha Itachi cooked dinner for two. He glanced at the clock often, wondering where the boy who would be now sprouting off about his day could be, as Naruto had never been late for his evening lessons.

He had just called Naruto's house with no luck when said boy turned up with a bruised face and bleeding lip, plus his jacket was torn in a few places.

“Naruto? What happened to you?” The worried man asked, watching him worriedly as he limped inside with a grimace.

“I got into a fight at school,” the blonde replied, while taking off his shoes at the mat. “So what's for dinner?”

What's with that nonchalant attitude? The man's brows lifted in inquiry before reality set in on him.

“You're not being bullied at school, are you?” The Uchiha asked, suddenly aware that Naruto could be trying to save face in front of him.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” He added after they walked into the dining room.

“No...it wasn't me,” Naruto turned and winked at him. “Some seniors were bullying the new transfer student.”

“I couldn't just stand there and watch, I had to do something to help him.”

Naruto had been strolling past the junior block after school when he heard the shouts of protest. Running into the classroom, he found the transfer student pinned against the wall by a senior, while another had been emptying the contents of his bag onto the floor.

Naturally, Naruto had yelled at them to the stop, but they ignored him. So he charged in only to receive a thrashing for his efforts, as two against one was never fair after all. But it had been enough to save the transfer student.

“It couldn't be helped,” Itachi said softly and his face revealed a hint of pride over the blonde's actions.

Catching the rare expression on the man's face, Naruto then smiled in relief at his words. Had he been expecting Itachi to be disappointed in him?

Be that as it may, he could not help but feel happy over the man's concern for him. Realising that he mattered to someone, confirmed his existence since no one would worry about a worthless person.

Pushing those pathetic thoughts to the back of his mind, he pulled out a chair. “I'm starving, who knew fighting could make you so hungry,” he grumbled.

As if coming to the rescue, Itachi put a bowl on the table and Naruto peered inside hoping to find noodles. His nose crinkled in confusion upon finding a wet cloth instead.

“Is this some kind of joke?” He asked the older man but said man kept silent and walked out of the room.

Returning to the dining room with a first aid kit in hand, Itachi removed some of its contents, walked over to the blonde and commanded him to face his direction.

Taking up the cloth next, Itachi proceeded to circle Naruto's lower lip, removing the blood there, then he applied the ointment.

It was not long before the blonde had blushed at the contact. He liked those long fingers smoothing gel on his cheek, although the skin there was tender to the touch. It was the first time someone was touching him after all and he enjoyed it.

“Th-thanks for bandaging me up, Itachi,” the boy said shyly, when the Uchiha had finished the job.

Dinner was served soon after and under dark lashes, Itachi gazed at the boy devouring his meal. Naruto's selflessness by protecting another at the cost of his budding reputation, and then dragging himself over for lessons, had stirred up something inside the man.

And it was his duty as a tutor to answer that fierce determination by guiding Naruto to achievement. Uchiha Itachi would teach the boy seriously from now on.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naruto's determination finally reached Itachi. Thank you for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many, many thanks for the kudos, comments and bookmarks from the last chapter, I treasure them.
> 
> Thank you so much Yasha for the beta. All mistakes are my own.

 

Naruto glanced at the looming gates of the school yard and a thread of uneasiness coiled in the pit of his stomach.

In a few more steps, he would be teased unmercifully for losing to those bullies in a fight yesterday and wearing a bandage on his face as proof.

Nevertheless, he would do it all over again to save the transfer student since ignoring someone in need was never an option in his book.

Pushing past the school gates, Naruto held his head up high and trekked to the senior block, meeting stares, giggles and whispers along the way.

Why isn't anyone saying anything to my face yet? This is just too weird. The confused blonde tried to steel his nerves before stepping into the noisy classroom where the bulk of his verbal attacks occurred.

The room fell silent upon his entrance and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a pink-haired girl following him to his desk.

“Hey Naruto,” Haruno Sakura said.

Attempting to look busy by digging a textbook out of his bag, Naruto solemnly replied to his main tormentor. “Hi Sakura-chan.”

“How's your face?”

The blonde's brows creased with doubt since Sakura would never be concerned about him, she hated him. “It will heal.”

Before Sakura could reply, she overheard some classmates questioning why she was talking to that 'loser' and the unexpected happened next.

“Shut up you idiots!” She whipped around angrily to face them. “He saved my cousin from getting bullied yesterday!”

Green eyes then regarded him with gratitude. “Thank you Naruto for saving Tatsuo.”

Opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, Naruto struggled against disbelief to speak. Just when he was expecting an insult, Sakura had thanked and defended him instead.

“It-it was noth-nothing,” he choked as his heart raced.

“Are you kidding me? Sure, you didn't land many punches but you kept going at them so Tatsuo could get away.”

“That is something!” She looked at him as if daring him to disagree with her.

Holding his hands up in resignation, Naruto offered her an embarrassed smile which she returned. And at that moment, he finally noticed the incredulous gazes of his classmates who had been watching the exchange.

Moreover, news of Naruto's heroics had spread through the school and for once, he was regarded with respect. On top of that, he could hardly contain his happiness while waiting for Itachi to come home that evening.

"Lots of teachers winked at me during my classes today,” Naruto said while rapping his fingers on the counter top.

“Last night my father promised to teach me some karate moves over the weekend.”

Itachi glanced at the cheerful boy who had been talking non-stop all evening, then he turned his attention back to the sauce simmering on the stove.

Truth be told, listening to Naruto's happy chatter relaxed the Uchiha, especially after having worried about said boy's day at school; fortunately, it had been for naught.

And as strange as it may seem, Itachi's school life had actually been similar to the blonde's. Whereas the blonde was shunned for being an outsider, Itachi was rejected for his highly intelligent and aloof nature which intimidated his classmates. However, only Naruto tried to change his fate.

Some time later, the blonde strolled into the dining room to find Itachi wheeling a dry erase board towards the table.

“Where did that come from and what's all of this?” The blonde pointed at the stacks of books and English DVDs on the table.

“Those resources will help you to study, we only have so much time before your national exams in June.”

“Oh, right...thank you Itachi.” Naruto frowned, remembering that his time as a secondary school student would end in a matter of months. Therefore, he needed to work harder than ever to gain friends before graduation.

“When can I send you the bill?” Itachi asked, breaking the blonde's train of thought.

“Huh?” I thought you'd pay...” the blonde trailed off, reading the price sticker on a DVD that cost more than his allowance; there was no way he could afford them.

Flashing his sensei a desperate look, Naruto watched the Uchiha's lips curve into a slight smile.

“I can't believe it, you-you're messing with me!” He bounded over to the Uchiha and playfully punched him in the chest.

Blinking in surprise, the older man felt warmth surging through his chest and his smile widened.

 

* * *

 

“I bet I know exactly what your office looks like,” Naruto remarked as he walked along the empty corridors of the law department with Itachi.

“And how would that be?” Itachi humoured him.

It was a bank holiday and the Uchiha had promised to watch an English movie with Naruto later that evening; however, the eager boy turned up before he could swing by his office to pick up some cases files, so Itachi ended up taking the boy with him to retrieve them.

“You must have a zillion books on the shelves and then there's a world globe, a gavel and a bunch of old newspapers on your desk cause you must've been following court cases for quite some time.”

How do you come up with these things? “See for yourself.” The amused Uchiha paused in front of his office door and unlocked it before disappearing inside.

Following the Uchiha into the carpeted room, Naruto actually spotted an impressive book shelf perched above the counter that housed the office electronics. On the other hand, only a crouching crow sculpture and a telephone lay on the desk.

“Gee, no gavel or papers huh? I couldn't have been more wrong.”

“And you just had to put up your weird art on the walls,” the blonde teased while studying a vibrant portrait that resembled a sunset.

A small bulletin board filled with postcards grabbed his attention next and naturally he fired a question. “Itachi, who sent you all these postcards?”

“They're from former students who enjoyed my courses.” A thoughtful expression crossed the Uchiha's face as he packed up the documents.

Itachi has a sentimental side! Naruto smiled at the discovery and understood why his students had showed him their appreciation; lately his teaching style had changed, it was more engaging and personal as if his sensei knew all of his weak areas and tried to improve them.

“I hope that my students will appreciate me as much as yours do when I become a teacher.”

"Why do you want to become a teacher?" Curiosity burned in Itachi's eyes as he gazed intently at the boy. He had heard the boy mention that career goal before but he had not taken him serious at the time, now he wanted to know what motivated him.

Looking away from the Uchiha, Naruto shrugged, wishing that he was not about to make a fool out of himself with his words.

“Uh, well I watched this movie when I was little. Have you watched Jiraiya's Watashitachi no Sensei before?

All the teachers hated his character and they gave him the worst class in the school to teach, just to see him fail.”

“But he showed them! He believed in his students when nobody else did and took them to the top. His pep talks were the best and his teaching style was weird too but it worked!”

Chancing a quick glance at Itachi, the blonde's voice grew softer as he continued. “I hoped to grow up and bring out the best in my own students one day... pretty lame huh?”

“No, it isn't. Inspiration can come from anywhere, Naruto, but what really counts is, how you use it to go forward when life's hurdles get in the way of achieving your goals.”

The Uchiha leaned against the desk and ran his hand through his dark hair before speaking again. “I knew I was going to teach law after reading The Great Shinobi War as a child.”

“But my father never approved of the idea and tried to stop me, yet here I am. And if the high pass rate of my courses and those postcards are any indications, I must be doing something right.”

“Sensei...”

The gravity of Itachi's own words hit him when he suddenly found a touched Naruto standing in front of him. The boy then proceeded to pat him on the shoulder. How did this boy get him to open up?

 

TBC

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for bearing with me and reading this far.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for your comments, kudos and bookmarks, I appreciate your support. I'm very sorry to be this late again, my apologies must be getting old, so I'll say now that my chapters will be late until I can get a better grip on my personal issues.
> 
> My undying thanks goes to my beta Yasha. All mistakes are my own.

Itachi sat alone in the café, gazing out the window at the townspeople walking through the park's entrance. He tried to recall his last visit to the place but was drawing a blank; it was another thing he kept putting off because of work.

Blindly reaching for a dango stick, Itachi fingered an empty plate instead. Confused, he looked down at the plate, earning himself the culprit's stifled laughter.

Heh heh, Naruto put the dango stick back in its place. “I thought you forgot about this.”

Amusement flashed in the Uchiha's eyes, for he was convinced Naruto enjoyed sneaking up on him and nicking food off his plate. “You're early today.”

“Yeah not by choice though, I had to take my father's suit to the cleaners.”

Doing a double take on the dango, Naruto arched his brows. “I didn't know you liked sweets, Itachi.”

“I don't, they just go well with tea.” The Uchiha gestured to his half empty cup of tea, took a banknote from his wallet and told Naruto to get something for himself.

When the boy sauntered over to the table a second time, something different captured his attention. The sleek fall of hair framing Itachi's face filled his sight, arousing a strange desire in the boy to run his fingers through those dark tresses.

With Naruto's luck, Itachi caught him staring, causing the boy's face to match the colour of his smoothie.

What the hell was I just thinking? The boy took a long pull of his beverage, confused.

“Are we going to the arcade after this?” Itachi asked, oblivious to the boy's thoughts.

Naruto nodded yet did the contrary once outside. He grabbed Itachi's wrist without warning, leading them both across the street to the park's entrance, then assured Itachi that he would be back and ran off.

Leaning against a tree, the older man sighed, clueless to the boy's whereabouts. How such an impulsive person weaved their way into his life was a mystery to him but if Itachi was more honest with himself, he would admit the boy was a refreshing addition to his life.

Naruto popped up again, holding up a bag of birdseed as if it was a lucky token. “Let's feed your friends in the pond!”

The Uchiha's lips twitched and he was soon strolling under the canopy of trees with Naruto, breathing in fresh air while he listened to the birds calling from the branches.

Choosing a shady spot on the embankment, they sat on the grass. Naruto scooted closer to Itachi, tore open the bag, pouring birdseed into Itachi's hand. “You're up first.”

The Uchiha tossed a handful into the water, attracting an eager swarm of ducks that flapped around, gobbling up the seed.

Turning to his companion, Itachi repaid Naruto's gesture and watched the boy's cheeks rise into a smile as he too fed the ducks.

Before long, that familiar warmth spread through the Uchiha's chest, his fingers tingled, brows furrowed. He tried to place the feeling but could not do so and opted to simply enjoy feeding the ducks with Naruto.

On the other hand, Naruto had named a few of the pond's ducks, their expectant faces reminded him of Kurama's at feeding times.

He also admired the Uchiha's reflexes for the man was the epitome of gracefulness with his perfect aim that landed the grains in front of the ducks of his choosing, leading Naruto to think that the Uchiha could make a good pitcher.

“What kind of duck is Kaiho-kun?” The boy pointed to a striking duck with a red face, white crest and orange wings.

Pleased by the question, Itachi added a random fact about said duck with his answer. “That's a Mandarin drake, the grey ones are females.”

"Some cultures regard them as symbols of love.”

“Why's that?” Naruto asked, tossing more birdseed into the water.

“They tend to mate for life.”

“Oh, that's nice.” The boy glanced at a pair of Mandarin ducks preening each other in the distance. He wished he could mean that much to someone, to be loved, to be cared for but sometimes he doubted that special someone existed; he did not even have friends at school, after all.

Likewise, Itachi shared similar thoughts while he gazed at the Mandarin pair. Deep down, he yearned for love and the warmth of that special someone who would enjoy his silent company and care about what he felt. However most people were concerned about what he thought, instead.

The steady supply of bird feed had dwindled to a few grains and most ducks were paddling across the pond but Itachi's focus lied elsewhere.

His soft gaze lingered on the blonde who was lying flat on the grass, keeping still for once. “Why did you bring me out here today?”

Stretching his jean-clad legs out, Naruto said, “I saw the way you were looking over at the park and I remembered there were ducks out here.”

“So I thought you'd wanna feed them for a change cause you're always going to the arcade with me.”

“I see.” A wave of gratitude swept through Itachi for this had been his best day in months and him knowing that Naruto made this happen by giving up his weekend reward of gaming at the arcade, deepened Itachi's appreciation for the boy.

“Thank you Naruto.”

 

* * *

 

Naruto was whistling his favourite song while he pressed Itachi's door bell that evening. He was chirpy, having garnered praise from his Literature teacher for his essay on the Killer Bee's Seal. Therefore, he itched to share the details with the older man.

To his surprise an attractive man with dark hair answered the door. Naruto held up his hands, believing he made a wrong turn in the neighbourhood. “My bad, I think I got the wrong place.”

Turning on his heels, the boy spotted a black Mazda in the drive way; however the stranger's next words stopped the boy in his tracks.

“Oh you are Naruto-kun."  
  
Stepping backwards, eyes widened, Naruto pointed at the taller man. "Who-who are you?”

“Mmm I'm Shisui.” The man beckoned him inside. “Come in.”  
  
Huh? That really doesn't tell me anything. The unsatisfied boy stepped in the house, scratching his head. Given how little Itachi spoke about his personal life, Naruto did not know how the stranger fit into Itachi's life at all.

After struggling to remove his shoes, he headed to the kitchen where the distinctive aroma of fresh herbs and roasted vegetables assailed his nose.

“I think Itachi bought these for you.” Shisui put a plate of rice crackers and a glass of juice on the counter for him.

“Thank you....” Naruto sunk onto the bar stool, feeling a strange pang in chest upon noticing the black apron which the man wore, it was Itachi's.

“How did you get Itachi to play video games?” Shisui asked, adding tofu cubes into the wok. “We don't do anything like that together.”

“Not sure.” Naruto was more interested in what Itachi usually did with Shisui and stole glances at him between sips of juice. The older man was handsome with tousled hair, almond-shaped eyes and a lean build which was similar to Itachi's.

“I hope he isn't killing you with too much homework.”

"I can handle it.” For some reason the boy refused to appear as anything less than diligent to the older man whose familiarity with the kitchen was painfully evident; Shisui had been there before.

“The brooding professor is back.” Shisui greeted the younger man walking in the kitchen. “Good evening Itachi.”

“Good evening Shisui, Naruto.”

Itachi set his work satchel aside and sat next to Naruto at the counter. “You've met Shisui.”

Naruto's smile faltered and he cast a wary glance at Shisui, muttering a reply. “Yeah.”

Shisui poured Itachi a warm cup of tea. “How was your day?”

“Good. There was an excellent presentation on national security in my Ethics tutorial today.”

“Mmm, really?” Shisui laughed. “I almost feel sorry for your student.”

Itachi's brow shot up. “How do you mean?”

“Ethics is your speciality and you're not an easy guy to impress, Itachi.”

Propping his head up with his hands, Naruto listened to Itachi talk about work for a change but he did not know what Ethics meant and could not follow their conversation.

For the first time, the gap between Itachi and himself was apparent since Shisui related to Itachi on a level which a mere schoolboy like himself could never reach and that chipped away at him.

Rolling up his shirt-sleeves, Itachi intended to help out with dinner but Shisui stopped him in the last way Naruto had wanted.

“No you don't.” Shisui playfully swat Itachi on the arm with a kitchen towel. “Relax yourself, Naruto-kun can help me.”

Turning to Naruto, with a hint of a smile on his face, Itachi thanked him before leaving him alone with Shisui.

There was no refusing his sensei, so Naruto proceeded to help Shisui load the food onto trays and carried them out to the patio table, while a lump clogged his throat.

“No appetite today?” Itachi asked Naruto during dinner.

“No....” The boy trailed off after seeing the satisfied expression upon Itachi's face as he bit into a seasoned mushroom.

“I think Naruto-kun prefers your cooking,” Shisui said with a sympathetic smile.

Both men shifted their attention to the blonde who neither confirmed or denied Shisui's claim and picked up his chopsticks again.

Looking down at his tray, Naruto recognised each side dish since Itachi often made them and they probably were Itachi's favourites. Then it happened.

Realisation dawned on him, wrenching his gut with the unfortunate truth. Shisui was Itachi's lover and he was the third wheel, intruding on a romantic gesture for Itachi.

More than anything, he wanted to run away from this scene that should not be bothering him, quell the heat rising in his body, yet he stayed, cramming food that he could not taste into his mouth.

“How was school today? Naruto?” Itachi found the blonde hunched over the dining room table, clutching his stomach.

“What's wrong?”

Naruto pushed himself up in the chair, gritting his teeth between the spasms in his abdomen. “My stomach...hurts so much.”

Gently pressing the back of his palm against Naruto's forehead, Itachi checked his temperature. “You're running warm too, let me get you painkillers.”

Itachi's hand was soft on Naruto's skin and he closed his eyes, avoiding the man's concerned gaze. It would be better for everyone if he stopped imposing on Itachi and went home, his stomach would probably feel better later in the night.

Thus he tugged Itachi's arm after finishing the glass of water, convincing the man to take him home, however Naruto had not seen the last of Shisui.

“Where are you guys going?” Shisui caught up to them in the living room.

“I'm taking Naruto home, he isn't feeling well.” Itachi was carrying Naruto's school bag since the boy had forgotten to take it with him.

“'Oh no, was it the food?” Shisui's voice was softer now, laced with worry and a hint of regret.

Flashes of Itachi savouring his lover's food, ran through Naruto's mind but he downplayed the pain twisting his insides, not wanting to ruin the mood any further for the couple. “Nope, my stomach was hurting all day, it just got worse.”

The boy turned away, slipping on his shoes. “I won't be getting in the way of your special time anymore...nice meeting you Shisui-san.”

Puzzled, the older man scratched his chin repeatedly. “Wait a minute, you don't think Itachi and I are together, do you?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said with resignation.

“We're cousins, Itachi is my best friend.” Shisui sighed, running his hands through his dark hair.

“I should've known Itachi wouldn't say anything.”

All Naruto could do was just stand there with his mouth agape as relief washed the tension away, causing him to believe the painkillers had kicked in; nevertheless it was too soon for the boy to know the true source of his pain.

# # #

“I hope Naruto-kun feels better soon.” Shisui said to the younger Uchiha joining him on the patio.

“Me too.” Itachi doubted he could ever get used to seeing Naruto sick or helpless and wished there was something more that he could have done for him.

“He seems like a good kid too.”

Itachi nodded. “He is.”

“He wasn't what I expected.” Shisui predicted that Itachi's brows would shoot up next and they did.

The younger man leaned forward in his chair. “What were you expecting?”

“Well I thought he would be more like Sasuke. They are around the same age and tutoring secondary school students isn't like you.”

  
Itachi shook his head, while he understood his cousin's reasoning, it was merely a coincidence. “I've never met anyone like Naruto before...he's clumsy, pushy and unpredictable yet he's so genuine and earnest that I just couldn't ignore him when he needed help with his school work.”

“Mmm, interesting,” the older man murmured, studying Itachi over the rim of his glass. There was no denying Itachi's fondness for Naruto or this being the most relaxed Itachi had been in years.

Before Shisui could reflect on a possible reason for this change in the man, said man asked the question that they both knew was coming.

“What's become of Sasuke?” Itachi's voice was calm but his face was expectant.

“He's doing well, still a straight 'A' student.” Shisui unlocked his cellphone, hesitating for a few seconds before handing it to his cousin.

“This time you'll find him on there with some questionable friends but appearances are often deceiving.”

After Sasuke's photo popped up on the screen, Itachi no longer heard Shisui's voice. The younger man was thrilled to see his little brother who had grown taller since last time and taken after their mother, Mikoto, in looks.

Frowning at the wistful look on Itachi's face, Shisui hated that as a union lawyer, he helped countless people but was useless to his best friend beyond updating him about Sasuke.

“Why don't you go see him for yourself? You could stay at my place.”

Looking down at the picture of Sasuke surrounded by his friends, Itachi gave a half-hearted shrug, rejecting both suggestions. "Sasuke doesn't want to see me, he thinks I abandoned him. Besides he didn't reply to any of my letters either.”  
Shisui paused for thought. Perhaps Sasuke had never received yours letters? “I'm sure Sasuke will listen to you if you talk to him in person, then he will understand why you walked out.”

“And why I never went back home?” Itachi was certain his brother would never understand his reasons for staying away so long.

After Itachi's father, Fugaku, had cut off Itachi's tuition during Itachi's second year of university as punishment for refusing to change his career choice, he had never been the same.

The Uchiha permanently moved to this town to work and support himself through university, becoming the Law faculty's most distinguished alumni and top researcher.

But the betrayal had hardened Itachi's heart, convincing Itachi that no one would ever understand him, thus he withdrew further into himself, never letting anyone to get close to him.

“You can't change the past but you have the present to make things right.” Shisui hoped that Itachi would forgive himself, meet Sasuke and open his heart again; only one of these things was happening so far.

Silence stretched between them and guilt was etched on Itachi's face since he had promised a tearful Sasuke that he would come back to visit him during his semester breaks and help Sasuke with his baseball career.

Between work and study, time slipped away until it was too late for the younger man to face his little brother in good conscience, having broken his promises to him.

“How's your collection of rare first edition books coming along?” Shisui tried to change the subject.

“When was the last time you took on any interesting cases?”

No answer huh? Shisui bit his lip, knowing Itachi was quickly slipping to a place where words could never reach him, shutting him out completely; therefore he hoped upon hope that Itachi would respond to what he would say next.

“I think Naruto-kun fancies you.”

“Eh?” Itachi stared wide-eyed at Shisui, for the thought of Naruto harbouring feelings for him had never crossed his mind.

Encouraged by the reaction, Shisui pressed on. “Does his face always light up when he sees you?”

“He thought he was getting in the way of our special time together, of course I cleared up the misunderstanding before he left.”

Putting the phone down on the table, Itachi leaned back in the chair, staring into the evening sky. This was surreal and given how friendly, playful and physical the boy was with him, could a crush be really underlining this behaviour?

“You really can't blame the guy,” Shisui continued. “He was lonely, failing at school then this young handsome teacher comes along and every-”

“No Shisui.” Itachi interrupted with a wave of his hand. “You are mistaking gratitude for something that just isn't there. I happen to be the closest person Naruto has to a friend right now, that's all.”

“Besides I could see why we looked like a couple to him.”

“Mmm if you say so.” Shisui slipped his cellphone into his pocket, pondering why the mention of Naruto had been enough to cheer Itachi up.

TBC

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was time for Itachi and Naruto to have another date and for Naruto to indulge Itachi too. I needed to bring Shisui in to help with Itachi's backstory but it would've been madness if Shisui and Naruto didn't meet, this had consequences for Naruto. Thank you for bearing with me and reading this far.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foremost, thank you for reading, commenting, your bookmarks and kudos, I'm very glad for your support. 
> 
> Wow I still must apologise to you. Everything just got out of hand for me, please forgive this delay.
> 
> Thank you Itachi Toriniti, Yasha and Infichi for helping me with this chapter. All mistakes are my own.

Naruto slowly tread towards the cafeteria, cursing the rain shower that forced him away from his usual eating spot under the trees.

He stepped into the lively cafeteria, clutching his bento tight and trudged past tables where everyone laughed, ate and chatted with each other, driving home the point that for all his studying he was still a lonely mess at school.

After settling down at an empty table in the far corner of the room, he bit into a burger, wishing for the school bell to ring early and end this long hour of solitude.

He was sipping on canned juice when the most unlikely person pulled out a chair at his table, startling him.

“Hey Naruto.“ Sakura took her lunch and phone out of her bag.

Resisting the urge to sputter on his drink, he managed to greet her, as it slowly set in that his former tormentor, the most popular girl in the school intended to eat with him. “H-hi Sakura-chan.“

The boy peered across the table at her sandwiches curiously, eyes widening upon noticing the charm that dangled from her phone.

“Is that Nyanko-sensei?“ He pointed at the cat charm.

Sakura smiled at him. “It is. Do you watch Natsume Yuujinchou too?”

"I sure do!" Naruto was pleased to share the anime in common with her.

"Natsume's such a sweet guy and Nyanko-sensei is awesome," Sakura said, pushing a straw into her boxed juice.

"Yup! Nyanko-sensei is bad ass, his fox form kinda reminds me of my puppy, Kurama."

"Aww, really?"

"Uh huh but Kurama's more ginger than white though."

"He must be cute.”

Naruto was more than eager to confirm this and to continue chatting with his classmate but Sakura's best friend strolled over to the table, stealing her attention away.

"Do you have your charger on you? My phone's dying." Yamanaka Ino took the seat next to Sakura.

"I have it." Sakura reached for her bag to fish it out. "You text too much."

"You're not one to talk." Ino laughed and to his growing discomfort, another popular student approached the table, plopping down in the chair beside him.

“Hey guys, coach just told me that our midterms are coming up next week,” Inuzuka Kiba said.

“Is it that time all ready?“ Ino picked up one of Sakura’s sandwiches.

"Yeah, well I gotta do good this time or coach will bench me for real,” Kiba complained.

Great, I'm back to being invisible again, sure didn't take long, Naruto lamented, slouching down in his seat. Why was it so damned hard to be noticed around here?

Shaking her head at Kiba, Sakura shocked everyone at the table with her next words. "You need to get off your butt and study more like Naruto here, he's been acing everything lately."

Kiba gaped at him. "No way."

Ino nearly choked on the sandwich and pat her chest.

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto blushed for he had not expected the sudden praise or attention but he liked it. "I guess I kinda have been."

Sakura pressed on, refusing to skip a beat. “Naruto is really funny you guys, Tsunade-sensei even laughs at his jokes in History class.”

“You made Tsunade-sensei laugh?” Ino stared at him. 

Kiba’s mouth slackened. "Are you kidding me?”

“It’s easy.” Naruto thought Tsunade-sensei had been nicer to him ever since the day she found him chatting with Itachi at the university.

Sakura laughed at her friends’ reactions. “I just think you're her favourite, Naruto.”

“No one else could get away with the prank you pulled on her last week.”

"What prank?" Kiba slid his chair closer to Naruto’s.

And without a second thought, Naruto detailed the elaborate prank, tossing in a few jokes for good measure.

“Why aren't you in our class?” Ino wiped tears from her eyes. 

Kiba slapped the table. "I didn't know you were so funny dude.”

Naruto grinned with joy, basking in the rare spotlight. They thought that he was funny, they were finally seeing him at last!

“Told you he was funny.” Sakura winked at Naruto, then added. "Naruto has a dog too."

“Oh yeah?” Kiba perked up again. “What kinda breed is it?”

“Kurama's an Akita Inu.”

“That's a good breed, almost as good as the Great Pyrenees,” said Kiba.

Scratching his face, Naruto tilted his head. "Great Pyrenees huh? Never heard of it.”

Kiba flashed him a scandalised look and whipped out his phone, showing Naruto a picture of a white dog with brown ears. "This beauty right here is my dog, Akamaru, he's a Great Pyrenees.”

“Ah cool, he's still a puppy like Kurama."

"How old is Kurama?" 

Naruto and Kiba chatted about their dogs before Naruto cracked more jokes, drawing a curious crowd to the table. So by the hour’s end, Naruto had talked and laughed with even more schoolmates, making it his best lunch ever.

Some time later, one happy Naruto strolled out of the school gates, with his hands behind his head, unaware that his day would get even better.

"There he is." Ino gestured to him.

Sakura put away her cell. "What took you so long?"

Naruto took in the group of schoolmates leaning against the wall, realising they had been waiting for him. This was a first. "I was just..."

“You gotta come to karaoke with us.” Kiba slung an arm around his shoulder and cast a glance at Sakura. 

"But you're gonna need to cover your ears when Sakura goes up, cause she screeches like a cat when she sings."

“Heh heh, really?” Naruto laughed only to have said girl smack him and Kiba alongside the head.

"I do not screech." Sakura said haughtily.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan." Naruto and Kiba apologised in unison causing everyone to erupt with laughter.

More than anything, Naruto wanted to hang out with them after school but it was simply impossible today. “I really wanna come you guys but I have lessons with my tutor this evening.“

"You have your own tutor?" Ino asked.

Naruto's voice leaked with more than just pride as he replied. "Yup, he teaches Law at The University of Konohagakure and helps me with all my subjects.”

"All of em! How much are you paying the guy?” Kiba gaped at him.

"It must be really expensive,” Sakura chimed in.

"Uh nothing, completely free." Naruto earned himself a chorus of gasps and ‘wows’ in turn but he all ready knew how lucky he was to have Itachi tutor him and was bursting to share today’s events with the older man as well.

"Well, let's hang out some other time.” Naruto waved at his schoolmates, grinning widely. “See ya later guys.“

* * *

“Decision, decisions.” Naruto stood in front of the packed shelves, weighing his options for his next snack, until a woody, spicy scent teased his nose.

“Mmm.” Something smells really good. Naruto sniffed the air and padded towards the source of the rich fragrance, only to halt within an inch of Itachi’s turned back.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Itachi asked at the same time.

Red-faced, the boy back-pedalled away from Itachi. It would not do to be caught in such a compromising position, plus there was no explaining that he was drawn to the scent of the man’s aftershave, either. “Y-yeah, I came for this...chia bar.”

Snatching up the closest snack to hand, Naruto shut the cupboard door with a bang and scurried over to the counter, embarrassed and confused.

Naruto’s confusion stemmed from the strange way his senses seemed to heighten whenever he was around Itachi, causing Naruto to notice so much more about Itachi than he ever had before. But was this right? 

The hisses of the rice cooker and the bubbling sound of stewing vegetables filled the room and Itachi lifted a brow, glancing over at the boy who was too quiet. “How did today go?"

“Pretty good, Sakura-chan invited me to her birthday party.”

“But I dunno what to get her for a present…, I just want it to be nice.” Naruto let out a sigh. 

The boy was thrilled to receive the envelope with his name on it and hugged Sakura, since that had been the first time anyone had invited him to a birthday party. 

On the other hand, Sakura was his first school friend and his first female friend at that, so Naruto was utterly clueless about a fitting gift idea for her.

“Try paying attention to the things that she likes, it should give you a good idea of what you can buy for her,” Itachi said.

Dazzling the Uchiha with a grin next, Naruto said, “that’s a great idea, Itachi, I’ll try that.”

The Uchiha turned away with an answering quirk on his lips and picked up the spoon to test the curry broth when an unsettling thought stopped him cold.

Will Naruto stop coming over for lessons now that he had earned his teachers' respect and made new friends? The underlying reason for Naruto starting lessons with him had been to gain their recognition, after all.

No, Naruto was his most driven student whose dream was to guide students towards their goals and success, as a teacher. So Itachi dismissed the idea, only for Naruto to plant a seed of doubt in his mind later that evening.

“It seems you're having trouble with word problems based on proportion.” Itachi set aside Naruto's Math book.

Naruto nodded, finding it hard to tear his gaze away from the alluring beauty mark on his sensei’s neck. 

“The idea really is to break down the problem into smaller steps and decide whether to multiply or divide at each step.“ 

“Heh heh.” Naruto chuckled at the way Itachi always touched his ear whenever he was explaining something to him; the mannerism was cute.

Unfortunately, Itachi was not privy to his student’s thoughts and tensed up in turn, brows furrowing.

He stared at the boy whose glazed expression confirmed his doubts. Naruto was not listening to him at all. Why was the boy no longer paying attention to him?

* * *

Naruto switched the TV channel midway Ninja Gaiden’s intro, tuning into an infomercial channel instead.

“Wasn’t that your favourite anime?” Iruka joined him on the couch.

Shrugging, the boy slumped deeper into the couch. “Yeah.”

Iruka tilted his head to the side. “What’s the matter, Naruto?”

“You’ve been sulking all weekend.”

“I’m fine, dad,” the boy gripped the remote tight, wishing he could dispel the heaviness aching his chest with a click of a button. 

That strange ache had coincided with the news of a business trip that whisked Itachi out of town, cancelling lessons and robbing Naruto of the moment he looked forward to the most: spending time with Itachi in the town centre each Saturday. Therefore, Ninja Gaiden was a sore reminder of what could not be.

“Take Kurama out for a walk,” Iruka suggested, ruffling his son’s messy hair. “The fresh air will do you good.”

Heeding his father’s advice, Naruto led his pup around the district, passing those identical rows of houses where he got hopelessly lost on his first visit to Itachi’s house.

His lips curved upwards as he recalled the Uchiha coming to his rescue in the Sedan that day. Somehow the Uchiha had always been there for Naruto when Naruto needed him the most.

And while he was beyond grateful for this, the boy was certain that a far deeper emotion encompassed everything he felt towards the Uchiha, everything that he was experiencing of late; if only Naruto knew what it was.

# # #

Itachi strode over to the bookshelf, putting his newest book back on the shelf, unread. He had chanced upon the rare volume during his business trip to Suna but the pages still remained unturned. His thoughts kept circling around his most troublesome student instead.

Taking up his cold cup of a tea from the desk, he walked to the kitchen sink, pouring the liquid down the drain. It was disconcerting to watch Naruto grow increasingly inattentive to his lessons despite all efforts to keep Naruto motivated.

Be that as it may, the chiming of the doorbell interrupted his brooding and he answered the door, peering down at the student in question.

“H-Hi Itachi,” Naruto said shyly. “You’re back!”

Itachi stepped aside with a stoic expression on his face and let Naruto in. 

“I guess we have good timing huh?”

We? Itachi regarded Kurama for the first time and put out his hand for the Akita to sniff.

“How are your classes going?” He asked eventually.

“Pretty good, I guess.” Naruto guided Kurama towards the dining room. “H-how was the workshop?”

“Interactive.” 

“Was there lots of….ethical, erm, Ethics stuff?”

“Somewhat.”

Frowning, Naruto was taken back by Itachi’s clipped answers. He knew that Itachi was a man of few words but those responses were too short even for Itachi. Perhaps the man got jet-lagged? 

Kurama, however, tugged on his leash next, breaking Naruto’s train of thought. “I get it, I get it, you wanna go outside.” 

The boy walked to the patio door, stopped and looked back at Itachi before disappearing outdoors with Kurama.

Watching Kurama sniff the flowers in the backyard garden, Naruto opted to only stay for a short time, so Itachi could rest but to his surprise, said man walked on to the patio, carrying a small plate of sliced fruit.

Naturally, the boy followed Itachi, settling beside him on the patio stairs. He popped an apple slice into his mouth and chewed slowly, focusing on the man who watched Kurama play in the garden.

His gaze slid over the man’s body, past the long, dark hair, strong shoulders and bare feet. Why was Itachi this sexy? Naruto questioned as his senses filled with the man’s scent.

He blindly reached down for another slice of fruit when long fingers accidentally entangled with his own, sending a dart of electricity throughout his body.

Ba-dum, ba-dum. Naruto swallowed when their gazes locked and Itachi leaned towards his face until warm breath tingled against Naruto’s lips; he did not know why his stomach fluttered so or what Itachi was about to do but he wanted it.

Fate, however, had other plans, for Kurama barked at a squirrel in the tree top, startling them apart.

Damn squirrel. The flushed boy breathed out, immediately missing the warmth of the man’s hand and hoped Itachi would lean towards again, so he waited around but Itachi had yet to look his way again.

“Naruto.”

Turning to the man, with an expectant look on his face, Naruto was moments away from being crushed for the second time that week.

“I have my work to do.” Itachi picked up the plate, avoiding his eyes.

“Right, you were gone for a few days….heh heh.” The boy plastered a weak smile on his face, rising to his feet as his heart sunk in his chest.

“Come, Kurama.”

“I guess I’ll see you later...”

Had the boy spared Itachi a final glance, he would have seen the longing on the older man’s face.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was time for Naruto's social circle to expand. More of Itachi's POV is coming next time, so things will get more intense from here, one of these guys will break soon. 
> 
> Seriously, thank you for being patient with me and reading this far.


End file.
